Bloody Water
by AspergianStoryteller
Summary: It was bad enough an under-age student was competing in the Twiwizard Tournament. Worse - the lake was more dangerous than they thought... M for bloodyness.


Title: Bloody Water.

Author: AspergianStoryteller.

Genre: Horror/Suspense.

Summary: It was bad enough they had an under-age student competing in the Twiwizard Tournament - worse, the lake was more dangerous than they thought... Don't own Harry Potter.

Warning: it gets gory at one point...

Severus watched the Twiwizard champions swim out and begin to separate on one of the large, round scrying mirrors set up for the crowd settled by the lake edge. There went Diggory and Delacour, in their swim-robes, as comfortable as they could be with warming and bubblehead charms cast.

Those particular charms were useful, though not particually impressive for students their age- taught in sixth year, and Severus, eager to learn, had known one by third and the next by fourth.

Diggory disappeared from the mirror first, swimming deeper into the cold water.

Krum, transfigured only partly- yet impressively- had already gone from sight. As time went by he would flash across mirrors set up to view different areas, catching the crowd's attention every time. The Bulgarian boy was a fright of large mouth and jagged, sharp teeth.

Potter had disappeared second, appearing quite eeiry with his gillyweed-induced webbing, long flippers, flapping gills and unblinking green eyes. Speaking of gillyweed, where had the brat gotten it from? This was the third time in three years things had gone missing from his stores. Just thinking about it made Severus burn with anger.

Groupings of Gryffindors - and a few students from other Houses who'd begun to forgive Potter for showing up Diggory by entering the Tournament, never mind his continued protest about that- cheered for him when they caught glimpses of him. Quite a few teachers and villagers cheered too.

'Gillyweed, hm?' Lucius Malfoy commented. The schoolboard member stood beside Severus, watching the second task with interest.

'An interesting choice.' Dumbledore stood at his other side.

'Personally,' Severus said, 'I'd like to know where he got it from.'

'Dear dear, Severus, do you suspect Potter of spiriting it away from your cupboard?' Malfoy's pale eyebrows were slightly raised and his mouth quirked up.

'Things have gone missing before,' Severus admitted. He hated to think of being outsneaked by students. 'I wouldn't put it past Potter to steal from me.'

'Now now, my boy,' Dumbledore said reassuringly, 'I know you don't particually like Mr Potter, but there's no need to accuse him of theft.'

'I'm being realistic,' Severus explained. 'You saw him rushing here, almost late. You must have noticed his frantic study lately.' Severus sure had. Potter looked haggard in class these days. He'd almost blown up a cauldron last week. 'He's desparate. The bra-boy knows now, even with his level of intellect, how challenging the Tournament is and how out of his depth he is. The bubblehead charm isn't even taught in class until sixth year.'

Delacour was last to vanish from the first mirror. She made a fine sight in her swim robes; they showed off a fit, alluring body, shrouded by her long, silvery hair. A large part of the male audiance enjoyed watching her.

There was Potter again- slipping through the water like a fish, or maybe a merboy? He disappeared from view again, and the audiance, and Severus turned their attention to Krum, who had just scared off a large fish simply by swimming by.

XXX xxx XXX

The whole lake looked and felt different from a fishy perspective, Harry thought. His eyes easily caught light in the dark water, picking out fish and rocks and plants as they came up. The water was cool and light agaist his skin. He'd just seen Myrtle before; she'd pointed him in the right direction.

_'Your time's half gone so tarry not,' _

Merpeople voices, eeiry voices, drifted through the water into Harry's ears. It made him shiver.

_'Lest what you seek stays here to rot...'_

Oh, that was creepy. Harry pushed his legs harder, swimming faster. He had to get there on time. He had to.

XXX xxx XXX

'Oh no!'

'Go Fleur! You can do it!'

'N'abandonnez pas, Fleur!'

Cries of encouragement for the Beauxbatons champion rang out as she battled a swarm of grindylows - near a scrying mirror. Considering its placement close by a grindylow nest, a confrentation like this had been anticipated.

Delacour's form passed in and out of the mirror's view. Jets of bubbles streamed from her wand, leaving welt on her attackers' skin.

'Yes!'

'Way to go Fleur!'

At last the girl prevailed and swum away from the grindylow quickly before they could recover. Soon, the crowd's attention was drawn to another mirror, where Diggory and Krum were dodging the giant squid's playful tentacles.

'Make sushi out of him!'

'No way! The poor squid!'

'Poor squid? Whose side are you on!'

'Виктор! (Viktor!) Conquer!'

'Oh look! It's Harry!'

Severus's gaze qucikly found Potter on the mirror set up by the hostages. They looked very strange in their enchanted sleep. He didn't think he'd ever seen Weasley so quite before. If only he'd be like this in class...

Potter came into the center of the merpeople's stone village, past the grey-skinned, green-haired, yellow-toothed merpeople (they were just as curious about him as he was about them), and arrived at the statue to which the hostages were tied.

'What's going on? I can't hear what they're saying.'

'Looks like they're arguing about something! See, they've grabbed him!'

'Oh dear.' Lucius sounded more amused than concerned.

'Oh no.' Severus was not amused. Potter had tried to rescue the other hostages. The fool. Idiot boy! What did he have to gain by doing that? He only had to grab Weasley and he'd make it back first. Was he trying to be a hero? Or was he under the impression that the other champions would fail to come and save their 'most missed thing?' Surely he couldn't be that stupid...

'What is that boy doing?' Minerva wondered. She sounded exasperated. Severus would be too, if one of his under-age Slytherins was making a troublesome situation even more diffecult.

'Ah, it appears that Mr Potter wishes to rescue the other hostages besides Mr Weasley.' Dumbledore sounded as though he was caught between pride and worry.

'Why though?' Minerva asked. 'He does not need to get them all out. They are the other champions' responsibility - even if they fail to make it there the hostages won't be in any danger! Doesn't he- Oh.'

Severus nodded. Poor Minerva.

XXX xxx XXX

At last - here was Cedric! The Hufflepuff boy looked a little scratched up, but not bad at this point. His eyes widened when they saw Harry in the strong grip of the stern merpeople guards. He tapped his wrist where waterproof watch was strapped; they didn't have much time left.

'Fleur and Viktor are coming!' he mouthed.

Harry nodded in relief and watch Cedric cut Cho loose, cast a silent charm to lighten her (not that she was all that heavy anyway) and swim away with her. Not long after, Viktor came, sending merpeople scattering in fear from his part-shark form. He tried to bite Hermione free. Harry, now free of the guards, hit the older boy on the shoulder and handed him a sharp rock; he'd bite Hermione in half otherwise. He honestly didn't give a shit about the competition right now. What did points matter when lives were at stake?

Harry was growing very worried when Fleur finally showed up. He watched her pull the little girl - probably her sister - free and joined her with a hastily freed Ron.

XXX xxx XXX

The race was on now. All of the champions had retrieved their hostages and were on their way up. Question was, who would make it back first?

Severus and Lucius watched Potter, dragging Weasley (who was taller and no doubt heavier as well) after Delacour and her little sister.

'It looks like Potter will be coming in last this time,' Lucius murmured. To be honest, after the boy had not been griviously maimed in the first task (second degree burns on the legs and a large cut weren't permanent enough) and lost him ten galleons in a bet with Draco, he'd decided not to risk any more of his money on the wildcard of a wizard, and he wasn't sure how he would get on with the rest of the Tournament. Well, it wasn't so strange for Potter to well in the first task and came last in the next. He was only fourteen.

'Indeed,' Severus agreed. 'He won't keep up with Delacour, not with Weasley to carry too.'

'Alas, non-verbal magic is not taught until sixth also,' Lucius fixed his gaze upon the mirror Delacour and Potter would reach next. 'Isn't that too bad for Potter?'

Severus nodded. It was true. Being only a fourth-year, admittedly a powerful one, but still only a fourth-year, Potter was at a serious disadvantage. The best he could hope for really was too come out of this alive and not with too bad a showing.

Minvera stared at the mirrors, clearly grateful that her student was on his way back, safe.

_Splash!_

Diggory's head broke the lake's surface with a loud gasp. Chang popped beside him, now waking up. Racous cheers arose as the first champion and his hostage back smiled at each other and swam for the edge.

Severus glanced at them stumbling into the shallows where they were quickly wrapped in towles and feed pepper-up potion by Madma Pomfrey. he was about to look back at the mirrors when Krum and Granger resurfaced. Granger looked shocked, then intrigued by Krum's shark head and human body. He turned back to normal and the cold, wet students made their way to shore.

'There's Fleur again!'

'Oh Merlin!'

Severus snapped back to mirror-watch as Delacour fought another swarm of grindylows. She was hampered by her sleeping sister, struggling to hold onto the little girl and shoot at the water-demons and swim away.

'Oh no! Fleur!'

The French girl's face was tight with fear and desparation. Seeing it made Severus' stomach clench and his heart thud unpleasently. He noticed the adults around him frowning in worry. Perhaps they should interfer now? The hour was up.

'Hey! It's Harry!'

'Where?'

'Look! There! He's fighting the grindylows!'

'Oh way to go!'

Potter flashed in and out the mirror's view as he shot what looked like boiling water at the grindylow. Of course, this drew their attention to him, and several of them attacked him, but they soon learned that this human could also burn them as soon the swarm fled into hiding in the long weeds.

Minerva breathed a sigh of relief and felt safe to smile with pride at her student's courage and chivalry.

Dumbledore beamed.

Lucius looked grudgingly impressed, though he scoffed when he saw how Harry had attained several scratches for his trouble.

Severus had a similar reaction, he just hid it better.

'What an idiot.'

Severus looked for the source of the new voice and found Draco Malfoy standing next to his father.

'He should have just saved himself the trouble,' Draco sneered. 'But of course, Potter just has to be the hero.'

Severus was wondering if he should say something when Minerva cut in.

'I'm sure Miss Delacour appreciated Mr Potter's help, Mr Malfoy,' she said cooly. 'As I'm sure you would in her stead. Mr Potter would _probably_ see fit to come to your aid.'

Draco bristled.

'As if I'd ever need _Potter's _help,' he spat.

'Perhaps not, Mr Malfoy,' Severus decided to interrupt before thigns got ugly, 'but nonetheless, if you are ever misfortunate enough to require aid from someone like Potter, consider it. He isn't cunning enough to ask for a favour back.'

'... Oh.'

'Hey, Fleur's back!'

'Look!'

'Where's Harry?'

The group hastily looked to the surface where Delacour and her sister had popped up. The littler French girl clung to the older one as they for shore. As they drew nearer, Severus noticed that the older one, Fleur, wore an odd look of confusion.

The crowd murmured with questions (where's Harry?) and rumours (he's run into the squid) while Madam Pomfrey fussed over her newest patients. Dumbledore gazed at the mirrors a moment longer, then walked over to Delacour.

'I wonder what happened to Potter?' Draco said.

'He and Delacour must have gotten separated at some point,' Lucius said. 'I wonder, Severus, how long does gillyweed stay in effect for?'

'It depends on the amount consumed in relation to the size and metabolism of the user,' Severus informed him. 'Potter is not large, but teenagers, especially males, tend to go through food rapidly,' (not a pretty sight at meals) 'and not much was missing. I'd say it would last him about an hour...'

And an hour had passed. More than an hour.

Frowning, Severus strode over to the shivering form of Delacour telling Dumbledore what had happened immediately after the second grindylow attack.

''E was right behind me,' she said. 'We were close to ze end - we were goeeing to stay togezer, but when I looked back, 'e 'ad vanished!'

'At-il perdu?' the younger girl asked.

_'Did he get lost?'_ Severus translated in his head.

'Maybe Potter decided he'd rather find his own way back than follow her,' Draco mused.

Dumbledore frowned, then addressed the teachers.

'It is well past the time limit now. I think we'd better go fetch Mr Potter and Mr Weasley.'

'Why don't you just summon him?' Draco asked Severus as he took off his outer robe.

'An anti-summoning ward was set up for the task,' he explained. 'To ensure the champions didn't have it too easy.'

Severus began wading into the water, and was about to bubblecharm himself, when merpeople heads began popping up. It was strange, he thought. Dumbledore had negociated with them favourably; shouldn't they have brought Potter with them if he was unable to finish his task?

The merpeople's chieftainess spoke to Dumbledore in the screechy noise that was Mermish above water. The Headmaster's face grew grave. He and the chief came to some agreement; several merpeople disppeared underwater again and Dumbledore addressed the teachers in Human, in English.

'The merpeople haven't seen Mr Potter since he left their village with Mr Weasley.'

They all frowned.

'We only just saw him with Miss Delacour,' Minerva muttered. 'How did he manage to get into trouble again?'

'I don't imagine it is anything too serious,' Dumbledore said. 'We assessed the lake for it's dangers only last week. However, it is better than we retrieve him soon. And you are already on your way, Severus. Thank you.'

Severus just nodded and cast his charms so he could get on with it.

XXX xxx XXX

The crowd, and the first three champions, now watched the scrying mirrors as the Hogwarts Potions teacher swam down into the lake. He avoided danger for the most part; what little he encountered was easily dealt with.

'Oh wow, he'd win if he were a champion!'

XXX xxx XXX

Where was Potter? Severus thought, blasting another grindylow away. Where was that blasted lost boy? When he got his hands on him...

He saw something red and black approaching. His wand was pointed at it quickly. Wait, was that?

Weasley?

The youngest Weasley male floated up towards him, alone. His red hair floated around his freckled head. As Severus watched, the boy drifted past him and to the surface, where he would wake up and wonder where Potter was.

Speaking of Potter... he must be nearby.

XXX xxx XXX

Ron resurfaced and woke up suddenly. Whoa! He was wet, and cold, and swimming. Oh, the second task must be on now. He looked around. Where was Harry? He was supposed to rescue him.

'It's Ron!'

'Hey! Ron! Are you okay?'

'Where's Harry?'

'Come over here!'

Ron stayed where he was. Where_ was_ Harry? Still down there?

XXX xxx XXX

Severus swum deeper. The water was dark, he could still see enough. He had to be close now.

Aha! There was movement. A flash. He swum closer. There was a set of rocks and long weeds. Had Potter gotten tangled in them? The little idiot.

Severus got a sudden feeling of foreboding. A moment later, he saw blood.

His eyes widened in horror. Oh, Merlin. He wasn't expecting this. They had checked the lake for this! How the hell did this happen!

A creature, similar in form to a merman clutched Potter to itself in arms with sharp claws. Potter wasn't moving. His body had reverted back to normal, air-breathing human.

The boy's pale face gazed unseeingly at Severus. His green eyes were wide, his skin was scratched and torn, his face was twisted in terrible, rigid, horror, fear, pain.

The creature, the monster, looked up and met Severus' eyes with gleeful, hungry, fish ones. It's head came up from its place on Potter's neck and grinned him. Its mouth, full of sharp, carnivore teeth, was red.

It bent back down to Potter and Severus unfroze.

XXX xxx XXX

'What's taking him?' Draco muttered. 'I wish he'd come past a mirror already.'

The students in the crowd were chattering with interest too. The teachers looked more worried.

'I should have gone with him,' McGonagall said anxiously.

'I'm sure Severus has it under control,' Dumbledore assured her. 'And the merpeople are looking too. They'll be alright.'

'Alright?' McGonagall snorted. 'I won't consider this alright until this Tournament is over and done with!'

'Hey! I think they're coming!' Weasley shouted.

'Then swim back yourself, Mr Weasley!' McGonagall shouted.

Weasley glanced down and started back. He had only just gotten there and was being wrapped up when Snape broke the surface with Potter in his grip. He swam back very quicky.

'Albus!' he roared. 'Poppy!'

That didn't sound good. Was Potter hurt? He was being dragged back to shore.

Draco pressed close so he could see what was up when Snape staggered onto land and lay Potter on the stones.

Draco, and most everyone else gasped.

Potter was pale white and blue lipped and utterly still.

Water and blood streamed off him.

His robes were torn to shreds, baring pale, bloodied, ripped skin.

Most of his fingers, an ear and chunks of flesh were missing.

'Harry! No!'

Draco promptly fell to his knees and threw up.

XXX xxx XXX

Poppy and Severus worked as quickly as possible to restore Potter's torn body. Severus summond several potions from his store and cast a spell to expell all the lake water Potter had inhaled. It gushed out of his nose and mouth, but he didn't start breathing again. He didn't even have a pulse.

Oh Merlin. Oh god. That monster had been _eating him. _Severus wanted to throw up. He wanted to scream, like the crowd was doing. But he couldn't now.

Poppy's face was pale and horror-stricken, tears were building in her eyes, but she kept cleaning Potter's stomach, where his innards were visible, and poured flesh-restorative on. The ripped flesh hissed and smoked as it began to grow back, tissue by tissue.

Severus cast the heart re-starting spell again. It had to work. It had to! If Potter didn't start getting oxygen soon, his brain wuld start shutting down. How long had he gone without oxygen down there before Severus had arrived? When had he lost consciousness? Before the monster had gotten him? Or had he been awake? Had he struggled in its grip and felt its teeth tearing out his soft flesh? By the look on his face...

'HARRY!'

Potter's friends were close, on their knees on the cold ground or clutching each other in fear.

'Harry! Please don't die!'

'Save him! Please!'

'Everyone get back!' someone yelled. 'Don't crowd them!'

'Oh my god!'

People were talking, shouting, screaming.

'Someone call St. Mungo's!'

The teachers stood and crouched nearby, grimfaced and pale, holding potions and towels and anything Severus and Poppy needed. The other champions were nearby too, having pushed their way close. Delacour was sobbing and hugging her terrified sister. Diggory was green and shaking, his eyes fixed on the younger Hogwarts champion. Chang gripped his arm and cried. Krum's eyes were wide with horror.

Lucius seemed uncertain and shocked by events; he stood rigidly nearby, his only movement being his hand on Draco's shoulder.

The judges were trying to calm everyone down and keep people back.

In his head, Severus recalled watching a muggle hospital soap with Lily and Petunia. They sat on the couch, trembling with suspense and hope while doctors on screen battled a life-threatening situation.

The patient had been hooked up to a machine that monitored their heartbeat. It flatlined.

Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeep...

**'Respiratio redde!'** Electricity cackled from Severus' wand into Potter's still chest.

Beeeeeeeep...

'NO!'

XXX xxx XXX

Harry tightened his grip on Ron's robe and kicked after Fleur. It was obvious they were going to stick together now for safety.

It was becoming harder to keep up, though. The water was getting colder, wetter. It was almost tasteless in his mouth. Harry's feet tingled. looking down, he saw them begining to revert back into unwebbed human feet. His gills were stinging. it was becoming hard to draw breath through them.

Harry kicked harder. It was getting lighter now - the surface must be close.

They entered a rocky area. Fleur kept disappearing from his sight. Harry rounded a corner and all of a sudden, came face to face with another lake-dweller. It looked a lot like a merman, but there was something different about it.

He didn't have time for this. The gilyweed effects were almost gone. Harry took one last deep breath through his gill before they disappeared completely, and made to push past.

And the creature was there again, blocking the way.

Frowning, Harry raised his wand threateningly. The creature peered at it curiously.

Harry's chest was quickly becoming tight. He slashed his wand at the creature and jets of hot water hit it. It screeched, showing lots of sharp teeth, and Harry pushed it aside.

'Ommff!' Something hard and strong struck Harry in the back, slamming him into a large rock. The shock caused him to loose air.

Something blurry loomed in Harry's face. A wide, toothy, sinister grin.

He panicked. He made to blast the creature away, and it slapped his arm, sending his wand down into the weeds. His glasses had fallen off too.

Oh god this was bad! He was going to die! And Ron, Ron!

Harry thrust his friend's sleeping body upwards with as much strength as he had, hoping he would make it to the surface okay and be rescued.

'Mmm!' As cold water rushed into his mouth and nose and his chest ached and his limbs spasmed, (like choking on his pumpkin juice but so much worse) the creature scratched him with its long claws. Long lines scored his arms and legs and chest. It wrapped powerful arms around him, pulling him right up against it.

It gripped his wrist and pulled it towards it mouth. Harry was conscious enough to register his fingers pressing against its cold lips, slipping into a wet mouth, a writhing tongue slicking around them... and teeth slicing them off.

'Gack!' Harry's scream choked in his throat painfully. He kicked and squirmed weakly. His vision was going black, but he could still feel everything.

'Mmmmm!' His thumb was bitten off. Blood poured out into the lake and billowed around them like a red mist. No, no, no, NO!

The creature screeched in estacy. Harry's fingers and thumb crunched horribly in its mouth and it slurped on the munted, mangled stubs left behind.

This couldn't be happening. He was going to die. Drowned, eaten. It was over for him.

Now it was eating his other hand. By now, Harry couldn't see his digits disappearing. It hurt so much!

A mouth nuzzled his stomach, almost lovingly. It was ripped open almost lovingly too. As though his intestines were the most delicious food in the world. Its tongue was inside him, licking him out. Harry had no energy left to struggle. His arms floated limply at his sides, like he was raising them in prayer.

He was so scared. Please, _please, _couldn't someone save him?

Harry's eyes watered and hot tears blended into the bloody water.

The creature, the horrible creature shifted Harry in its arms and pressed its face into his neck. Its embrace was tender now.

Harry felt cold and shuddery and and jagged. Water filled his mouth and nose and throat and stomach. Water filled his lungs. Water crept into his brain. His bladder loosened and warmed his legs.

Lips mouthed his bare neck and a tongue slathered it. Tasted it. The monster sucked on his fading pulse and leisurely sank its teeth into him.

XXX xxx XXX

...

...

Beep. Beep. Beep.

XXX xxx XXX


End file.
